Birding in the First State

Along with our friend ES, we started out at Bombay Hook where the highlight was one of two continuing SEDGE WREN that we heard well, and saw briefly (great looks at its buffy rump as it flew away from us.) We also had a young Black Vulture peaking from an old barn window.

Water levels were high, so shore bird diversity was low, but we still had a flock of 50 AVOCETS (the staple of Delaware birding.) The action of the day was a peregrine swooping on the pool of shorebirds. The peeps took to the sky while the Avocets huddled together.

In a fit of temporary insanity, we decided to continue further south, to Prime Hook in search of Black-necked Stilt (a lifer for Eleanor.) We drove the hour, and scoured the Broadkill marsh where there were more Avocets and other shorebirds, but no sign BN Stilt… UNTIL….. The Avocets took flight at once, and were replaced by 2 BLACK-NECKED STILTS from the ether! 🙂

Why stop here? In yet another fit of insanity, we decided… let’s try for the TRIFECTA! ..so on to Cape Henlopen it was….. We searched around the Piney woods near the seaside nature center and heard little squeaks. BUT we were being slaughtered by giant mosquitoes, so as we headed back to our car to douse ourselves in bug spray, we happened upon a feeder. Our target was briefly seen on the feeder, so we waited for more looks and were eventually rewarded with great looks at several BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCHES coming to the feeder, and in the surrounding pines. Another lifer for ES!

All in all, we tallied 63 species.
A great, but tiring day. Delaware birding is always a highlight of our adventures.